Skylar Hurst

Classroom Management Plan

Introduction:

This classroom management plan has been crafted from careful personal
observations and reflections as well as from ideas presented in Redl and
Wattenbergs Group Life and Classroom Discipline theory, Marshalls Discipline
without stress, and Barrish, Saunders, and Montrose Wolfs Good Behavior Game.
These theories have impacted my ideas of classroom management in several
ways. First of all, I believe, as presented in Redl and Wattenbergs theory, that
students should be encouraged to understand their own behavior and actions. Using
ideas from this theory, I will work to support students in developing self-control and
an understanding of themselves as individuals as well as active group members. To
build awareness of this, aspects of the Good Behavior Game are incorporated in my
plan. I believe that, especially in middle-level classrooms, students are more
successful behaviorally and academically when they understand the impact their
actions have on those around them. The Good Behavior Game allows this to be
done in a fun, cooperative, and encouraging environment. In Marshalls Discipline
without stress plan, students learn to self-regulate their behaviors through teacher
positivity, student choice, and student reflection. The questioning outlined in this
theory will be used to guide students through their choices through
acknowledgement of their actions, a recognition of the choice they made, and a
commitment to make a different choice in the future.

Philosophy of Management:
I am committed to creating and maintaining a positive environment with a
strong teacher role-model which encourages students to understand and change
their own behavior. I believe that, when managing a classroom, three factors must
always be kept in mind.
First, the teacher is the role model for appropriate adult behaviors and
interactions. For this reason, I commit to stay calm, even in the face of adversity
and to openly talk through decisions and reasoning in order to instill my students
with understanding of an adult mindset. I will provide support and structures which
allow students to recognize and appreciate their best self.
Second, a classroom must provide a safe and positive environment where
learning can flourish. For students to learn, they must be willing to be vulnerable. To
create this classroom, I commit to balance encouragement and correction, to teach
thinking skills which allow students to make decisions and think through and
understand their own actions, and to always uphold student dignity.
Finally, I believe that all management decisions should work to teach
students how to change their own behaviors. In order to meet all students basic
psychological needs of survival, power, belonging, freedom, and fun, my classroom
will allow students to take an active role in learning and taking care of our school
community. I commit to helping students build self-control and understand who they
are individually as well as what they contribute to a group.

Classroom Arrangement:
As a middle-school teacher, it is essential that my classroom be arranged in a
manner that encourages students ownership of learning. To do this, at the start of
the year, there will not be a lot hung on the walls. Throughout the school year,
though, charts and lists will be posted as students learn new material. Students will
always participate in the creation of these charts and will be encouraged to refer to

the resources throughout the year to remember their learning and activate their
memory. These charts will be colorful and easy to read from any point in the
classroom.
Student desks will be arranged in a semi-circle with desks clearly grouped into
partnerships of two to three. The arrangement of desks in this way will allow for all
students to be able to see the front of the classroom as well as each other. There
will only be three rows, so that students are looking at more of their classmates
than in a traditional classroom with rows. This will encourage group discussion.
Grouping desks into twos and threes will aid students in partner and small group
work. Students seats will change at the end of each major grading cycle, allowing
them the necessary opportunity to get to know and work with a variety of their
classmates; an action important to building a group identity.
In the back corner of the classroom, there will be a table set up for small group
work when necessary. In this same area, students will have access to a classroom
library and seating on a carpet. Sitting on the carpet or working at the small group
table will be earned by students who are especially supportive of their classmates
and who are showing strong ownership of their own learning. In another corner of
the classroom, students will have access to a small number of computers. As do the
charts in the classroom, the internet will always be made available to students as a
resource to gain information and knowledge. In the front of the room, a series of
shelves will hold student notebooks, so that they can be quickly and easily picked
up by students as they enter class. In this same area, students will find any
handouts and materials which they will need for the day. Keeping materials at the
front of the classroom, allow students to easily get what they need before the start
of class, increasing instructional time.
On the teacher desk, students will find a basket labeled with their class period
name. This basket will be used to hand in assignments. On the door, folders will be
posted for each day of the week. Inside the folders, students will pick up any missed
assignments after an absence. This also allows quick access to class materials
which students may accidentally misplace or forget to bring to class. Leaving open
access to classwork gives students the opportunity to take responsibility for their
own learning and organization instead of asking the teacher to gather their
materials and/ or missed assignments for them. For this reason, the pencil
sharpener will be at the front of the room with other materials, so students can
make sure all materials are ready for work before the start of class.

Classroom Rules:
Rules in my classroom will be created and enforced in a manner which
teaches students to take responsibility for their own learning, organization, and
interactions with others. Students will be set up to start and end class successfully
with the following rules:
Students will be prepared for and productive in class each day.
Students are unpacked, with all materials for the day, and working on DO
NOW within 1 minute of the bell.
At the end of class, students have 2 minutes to pack up, neatly put away all
materials, clean working space, and be silently seated before dismissal.
Throughout class, students will follow rules which set them up for success and
build a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable being
vulnerable and, therefore, learning.

Students will show respect to their classroom, classmates, and teacher at all
times.
Students will sit in SLANT throughout class.
Students will meet the set voice level: silent, whisper, soft voices, college
voice. .
Students will respect each others personal space and keep hands and
materials to self at all times.
Students are permitted to use the restroom twice during each 6 week grading
period.
These expectations will be taught at the beginning of the year and posted at
the front of the room. Students will receive appropriate and fair consequences
when rules are broken. Though students will not be a part of making the rules,
they will be a part of designing consequences when students break the above
rules. Students will understand that these rules are designed to increase student
learning and safety within the classroom.

Consequences:
A classroom behavior system will be used to track student misbehaviors through
a system of merits and demerits. When not meeting expectations, students will earn
a consequence as outlined below. After repeated offenses, student consequences
will increase. Students will also recognize and face natural consequences for not
meeting expectations as outlined below. All consequences will be addressed by the
classroom teacher unless otherwise specified.
Rule
Looks Like
Consequence
Students will be prepared for
-Students will read days Demerit
and productive in class each
posted materials list and
day.
have all materials at
desk, and all
assignments handed in
before the beginning of
class.
-Students may not get in
backpack or go to locker
during class
Students are ready and
-unpacked, with all
Demerit
working at start of class.
materials for the day,
and working on DO NOW
within 1 minute of the
bell
Students will wait silently in
-At the end of class,
Demerit
seats for teacher dismissal
students have 2 minutes
to pack up, neatly put
away all materials, clean
working space, and be
silently seated before
dismissal.
Students will show respect to
their classroom, classmates,

-Students will
respectfully agree and

Think Seat w/ selfreflection (removed

and teacher at all times.

Students will sit in SLANT

throughout class.

Students will meet the set

voice level: silent, whisper,
soft voices, college voice.

Students will respect each

others personal space and
keep hands and materials to
self at all times.

Students are permitted to

use the restroom twice
during each 6 week grading
period.

disagree during class

discussions by using
nonverbal signals and
kind sentence starters
such as, I respectfully
disagree.
-Students will use
appropriate, kind, and
respectful language to
solve problems and
reflect on misbehaviors.

from class
community)

-sit up straight
-listen to the speaker,
-ask and answer
questions,
-nod head to show
agreement and
disagreement
-track the speaker.
-During direct instruction
and independent work
time, students will stay
on silent.
-When given permission
for a partner check-in
during independent work
time, students will use a
whisper voice.
-During partner and
small group work,
students will use soft
voices.
-When sharing out with
the entire class or
presenting, students will
speak in a college voice.

One opportunity
(reminder to fix)
On second
correction, Demerit

-keep eyes on own work

-only uses personal
materials
-does not use peers
supplies or work unless
given permission by
teacher first
-Students will raise a
silent hand during work
time to signal the need
to leave class.
-Student will have

Demerit

Offending student
will apologize to
wronged student.
Student will call
home and make
parent/ guardian
aware of action.

One opportunity
(reminder to fix)
On second
correction, Demerit
After two demerits,
student will have
one-on-one check in
with teacher to
review expectations.

Self-reflection
Offending student
will apologize to
wronged student.
Demerit (if student
doesnt have pass)
Student will come to
class on own time

restroom pass on front

corner of desk.
-When given permission,
student will silently
stand, take pass, and
exit room.
-Student will return from
restroom within 3
minutes.

(lunch, before or
after school) to
make up missed
classwork/
additional minutes
gone.

The above consequences will be logged and tracked for trends in a computer
data base. If a student receives the same demerit two days in a row, student will
complete a self-reflection. If a student receives the same demerit three days in a
row, a phone call home will be made. If the behavior continues to persist, student
will serve a lunch or after school detention with the teacher. If the action impacts
the safety of another student, student, teacher, parent, and administrator will
conference to problem solve surrounding behavior. Student will not be permitted to
sit with the classroom community until meeting is held, guaranteeing the safety of
all students. All self-reflections will be saved in a personal student file in order to
track behavior trends and student ownership of actions.

Instructional Decisions:
Classroom content will be delivered using grade-level materials. At the beginning of the
year, students will take a diagnostic exam which diagnoses their reading level and
comprehension of grade-level texts as well as provides a base line for the writing organization,
grammar, and mechanics. This information will provide the teacher with data used to create
supplemental aids for students creating a fully differentiated classroom. Students will take a midyear and end of year assessment to measure their progress and keep teacher updated on student
needs. Supplemental aids include sentence stems, example answers, checklists, word lists,
spelling lists, etc.
Additionally, class lessons will follow a similar structure each day. Students will start
class with a grammar DO NOW which reviews the previous days learning and teaches a small
new grammar concept. Students will have 4 minutes after the start of class to complete the DO
NOW then it will be checked as a class. These are meant to be quick grammar hits which
students are expected to incorporate in to their daily writing.
The following daily activity will for the following 10 minutes of class: Monday- spelling
and vocabulary test; Tuesday- learn new spelling and vocabulary words for week; Wednesdaylearn new Greek/Latin root and compile list of commonly used words; Thursday- independent
reading time, students will annotate for unknown words and write a summary for the end of each
chapter; Friday- grade check/ self-reflection- What is my grade? How do I feel about my grade?
What do I need to do?
After this, students will read out the daily learning target and rephrase it into their own
words. Two learning targets will be posted for each 100 minute class period. At this time, teacher
will provide definitions to new learning and students will record the information into a class
notebook. Providing a frame of the days learning allows students to gain an understanding of
why they days learning activities are important.
Direct instruction of new learning will start with a 5 minute hook to engage students in
the concept. This hook may take the form of a video, partner work, a writing task, a reading task,

a gallery walk, etc. Providing a hook for learning is essential for student engagement with
content. Students learn best when they enjoy learning. Providing a daily hook will increase
student interest and, therefore, decrease misbehaviors. Teacher talk for new learning will be
limited to 5 minutes to introduce a new skill through a think aloud model. As the teacher models
the new thinking, students will note the thought process being used. Students will be asked to
repeat back thought process before class completes new thinking together for 10 minutes. At this
time, students will ask questions to clarify learning. Next, students will work independently on
the new skill. Students will be provided with the opportunity to check-in with their partner, a
small group, or the entire class at specified intervals determined by the complexity of the task. As
students work, the teacher will move around the room and observe student work to gain insight
about student understanding and misunderstanding. Teacher will work with student to correct
thinking as necessary.
Learning will be designed to maximize student interaction with materials and peers in a
collaborative and creative way. The teacher will use call and response as well as cheers and
chants to keep student engagement high. Use of equity sticks will increase student participation.
A public participation tracker will be posted at the front of the room. Participation will be
counted as part of student grades.
A yearly overview will be created at the start of the year with prioritized learning targets
and major texts clearly outlined. Weekly and daily plans will be sequenced out 2-3 weeks prior to
teaching. Teacher discretion will be used for re-teach and small group instruction/ tutoring.
Overall, my classroom will be designed in a way that students will interact with each other and
their learning. They will reflect on their understanding, ask questions, and use available
resources to increase their knowledge. Instruction will be upbeat, positive, and interactive with as
much student voice as possible.

Parent Communication:

Cooperation:

Proactive Discipline Enforcement:

Parents will have my school number and email address and will be encouraged to
reach out with any concerns. Additionally, I will commit to calling home any time a
pervasive, unsafe, or concerning misbehavior occurs in the classroom. On top of this, I
will commit to making at least one positive phone call or note home each month. At the
end of each grading cycle, parents will be invited to schedule a conference with the
teacher and student to review student learning and behaviors. Parents will be
encouraged to visit the classroom and observe instruction and learning.
Cooperation will be taught through small group and partner work in the classroom.
At the start of the year, students will learn how to effectively prompt students for more
information as well as how to have a problem solving conversation with a peer, and
how to respectfully disagree and agree with others during conversation. Students who
do not meet the respect expectations of the classroom will complete self-reflections
and role-play their actions with a teacher as necessary. After group assignments,
students will complete a reflection on what their group did well and what needs to be
fixed.
Throughout instruction, I will prime students for my expectations, decreasing
confusion about how to be successful. I also commit to keeping instruction upbeat and
exciting so that students will want to be in class and a part of the learning. I will

carefully select student seating and groupings in order to decrease possible problems. I
will work with students to reflect on misbehaviors to deter them from happening in the
future. I will stay calm with students in order to keep them calm in the classroom.

Diverse Populations:

Conclusion:

I commit to staying informed about all student needs by reading provided IEP, 504,
and ELL paperwork at the start of each school year or with the enrollment of a new
student. I will always assume the best of my students and ask why they made a certain
choice before assuming their intention. I will work to know student families and keep
lines of communication open. When planning lessons, I will ask- what information might
be unfamiliar to my students. When presenting new information, I will work to instill
necessary background information which will aid understanding and completion of a
task. If necessary, I will work with a co-teacher to plan lessons and differentiate
instruction. As stated earlier, supplemental materials will be created to assist student
understanding of content and learning. When selecting texts and writing prompts, I will
pay attention to the wording, characters, and setting and analyze for possible biases or
assumptions which are made.
Although I know it is hard work to meet the above outlined ideas, I am willing to
work hard to build student confidence and success in my classroom. I know that for this
to happen, I must think of each student as an individual and provide them
opportunities for self-reflection. I will work to aid students in committing to change
behaviors and grow academically, behaviorally, and socially.